On route for charity with “Mission South”

Mission South: back home

Traveling five thousand kilometers on two wheels to find yourself on the other side of the world: many of us dream of a similar trip, but our friends from Motor Circus actually did it. And not just for themselves. Find out more about their effort to unite the motorcycle minded –including Dr. Jekill & Mr. Hyde- in order to bring funds to the needed during their trip to Gambia: Mission South.

Once it is seen……it can never be unseen. That is the basis on which Mission South has come to life. Back in 2008 Chris, and Marko first came across the daily struggles that Gambian locals face. While they were having fun during a rally trip in their classic Saab, the two friends saw how a lack of nutrition and health care was affecting the people around them. Instead of ignoring the problems, they decided then and there: we need to take action.

Suiting the action to the wordIt’s one thing to make a decision, but it’s the follow-up that is the hard part. However, the guys quickly started focusing on several important charity causes that helped improve life standards for Gambian locals, such as a medical center in Serrekunda. After several years of self-fueled initiatives to support the medial center this year they went on to make a mark among the general public on their mission for everyone to see. It proves that they have truly put their money where their mouth is, and therefore so did we by making a generous financial donation to the cause, as well as providing the guys with some Dr. Jekill & Mr. Hyde magic in the shape of our exhaust systems.

Mission SouthDespite the noble nature of their mission, there is the adventure aspect that makes it a personal achievement for the boys from Motor Circus. A mix of motorcycles varying from 1974 to brand new all share the same badge: BMW Motorrad made sure that aside from two brand new nineT Scramblers getting tested on their off road capabilities, there was a brand new R1200 GS to haul all the camera gear. We made sure the bikes were equipped with the right sound by installing our electronically adjustable exhaust system on all three, which later became an instant hit among the locals in Gambia when the team played with our three sound levels in an attempt to create a magic show. The other two bikes were the trusted Bavarian Boxers of Chris and Marko, both bikes from the 1970’s.

The numbersAdventure or not, the thought behind Mission South was to create awareness for the problems in Gambia to free funds that help support local charities. No less than 5000 kilometer was traveled to reach their destination, a trip on which they encountered over 100 police and military stops. Limited storage space on their bikes proved challenging in their dress code, as temperatures varied from close to freezing to up to 45 degrees Celsius. From the south of Spain through Morocco, Western Sahara, Mauritania, and Senegal they finally reached their goal: Gambia. On their trip they have encountered numerous people who all shared a friendly approach towards the Motor Circus team, while the most notable thing they did not encounter was mechanical failure. The end result was an incredibly helpful €11.500,- that all goes into the non-profit medical clinic in Gambia.

The follow upMission South is not finished, it has just begun, as the gathered funds should serve as a starting point rather than an end result. Find out more about Mission South, how a group of friends became Motor Circus, and get inspired by the trailer below in anticipation of their full film which will come out at the end of April 2017. Enjoy!